Sectional boiler.



No. 789,280. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905. P. B. HOWELL.

SBOTIONAL BOILER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

F. B. HOWELL.

SBOTIONAL BOILER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 789,280. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

' P. B. HOWELL.

SECTIONAL BOILER.

7 APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 789,280. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

- F. B. HOWELL.

SEGTIONAL BOILER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 14, 1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

F. B. HOWELL. SECTIONAL BOILER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14. 1905.

9 SHEETS-*SHEET 5.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905;

F. B. HOWELL. SEGTIONAL BOILER. APPLICATION FILED JAN-14. 1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

F. B. HOWELL. SBOTIONAL BOILER.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905 APPLICATION FILED JAN.14. 1906.

e SHEETS-SHEET 7.

P. B. HOWELL.

SEOTIONAL BOILER. APPLIOATION TILED JAN. 14. 1905.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 8,

No. 789,280. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

F. B HOWELL.

- SEOTIONAL BOILER. APPLIUATION IILEI) JAN. 14. 1905.

9 SHEETSSHEET a.

UNITED STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK'B. HOWELL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN RADIATORCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SECTIONAL BOILER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 789,280, dated May 9,1905. Application filed January 14, 1905. Serial No. 241,145.

To all w/tom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Boilers, ofwhich the following is a specification and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to the horizontal type of boilers, such as areused in the generation of steam or the heating of water for the purposeof heating buildings, the boiler being composed of a plurality of hollowsections assembled so as to form a unitary structure havingcirculating-passages for the water, a fire-box, and flues for the escapeof the products of combustion.

The prime object of the invention is to increase the efliciency ofboilers of this type relatively to their size and weight; and thisobject is accomplished by the general ar rangement f thewater-circulating passages and'of the flue-passages and by variousdetails whereby the extent of the radiant heating-surface is increased,all as hereinafter described, and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front View of the boiler, some of theparts being broken away and the doors being indicated in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boiler, partly broken away to show theinternal construction. Fig. 3 is a plan section on the line 3 3 of Fig.1, some of the parts being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal vertical central'section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal vertical section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 1. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are elevations of various sections of theboiler, some of the parts being broken away in Figs. 6 and 7, taken,respectively, on the lines 6 6, 7 7, and 8 8 of Fig. 2. Fi s. 9 and 10are detail sections taken on the ines 9 9 and 10 10, respectively, ofFig. 3.

The boiler is composed of six different forms of sections. The frontsection is provided with door-openings 21 21 to the fire-box and 22 and23 23 opening to the flue spaces. The rear section 24 is provided withan eduction-flue passage 25 for communication with the stack, as bymeans of a fluepipe 26. At the center of the boiler are lo cated thecentral sections 27 28, which are preferably identical in form and maybe of any desired number, according to the size of the boiler. Betweenthese sections and the rear section 24 is placed a connecting-section29, so formed as to cut off the central flues from the eduction-flue 25.

Adjacent the front section 20 is the front flue-section 30, so formed asto connect the central with the side flues, and interposed between thesection 30 and the forward central section 28 is a connecting-section31, arranged to continue the central fines forwardly.

All of the sections except the front and I rear ones may be generallydescribed as U- shaped, each having an arch portion forming the dome ofthe boiler and water-legs leading downwardly therefrom and flanking thefirebox, intermediate water-legs being provided, as hereinafterdescribed, which provide for the circulation of the water and for theflue arrangement. The front and rear sections 'are preferably hollowthroughout their entire'areas. The intermediate sections arch inwardlyfrom their water-legs, forming a species of crown-sheet. The centralsections have this arch open, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, to allow theascent of the vapors to the central and forwardly-directed flues. Theconnecting-section 31 and the section 30, located adjacent the frontsection, are provided with a closed arch, thereby forming a continuationforwardly of the central flue and cutting it off from communication withthe fire-box.

Each of the intermediate sections is provided with inner water-legs,adjacent faces of which abut to form a continuous flue-partition. Theline of draft therefore is, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3, 4,and 5, u wardly through the open arch of the central sections 27 28, andforwardly to the front sec tion, and thence laterally in bothdirections, (the inner water-legs of the section 30 being of less widththan the section,) and backwardly through the side fiues located betweenthe outer and inner water-legs, (these lines uniting at the back of theboiler, the inner waterleg of the section 29 being of less width thanthe section and the width of the rear section 24 being reducedin theline of the flue,) and to the eduction-passage 25, and thence to thestack. Allusion has already been made to the fact that section 29 isprovided with a vertical wall for separating the eduction-flue from thecentral flue. This wall connects the inner water-legs of this section,as shown. This flue arrangement concentrates the vapors when at theirmaximum temperature at the center of the boiler and discharges themthrough the side lines, where they come in contact with the water-legscarrying the descending, and hence the cooler, water-currents-a fluearrangement which contributes largely to the rapid and proper directionof circulation of the water within the boiler, as will be more clearlypointed out.

Each of the sections is made in two parts which are united along themedian line of the boiler, and their water-chambers are connected at thetop by means of overlapping lugs, as indicated at 32, 33, and 34, (mostclearly shown in Fig. 2 and appearing also in Fig. 4,) adjacent faces ofthese lugs having registering apertures within which are fittedpush-rings 35, the outer laces of which taper toward each end, therebyuniting the sections and forming steam-tight joints. Adjacent sectionsare similarly united at the lower ends of their outer water-legs, asindicated at 36, and a blow-oil pipe 37 leads from the bottom of theboiler at each side, as shown, from the foot of the rear section,thereby providing means for draining the entire waterchamber of theboiler.

Referring to the details of construction of the several intermediatesections, it will be seen that each is provided with an instandinghollow rib 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42, formed, respectively, on the sections30, 31, 28, 27, and 29, this rib taking the form of a half-archspringing from the base of the outer waterleg and extending nearly tothe median line of the boiler and then rising abruptly to the bottom ofthe central flue, its upper inner end being approximately near themedian line of the boiler. The thickness of each of these ribs is verymuch less than that of the section, as shown being approximately aboutone-fourth of the thickness thereof. Each of these ribs is apertured, asshown at 43 44 45 46, so that its upper portion is d ivided into aninner and an intermediate water-leg 47 48 and a lower, an intermediate,and an upper cross-arm, (designated, re"- spectively, 49, 50, and 51,)which connect the water-legs 47 and 48 and extend to the outer water-leg52 of the section.

Each of the lower cross-arms 49 and 50 is provided with laterally andoppositely proj ecting hollow fins 53 54, extending substantially to theplane of the side of the section, and the heating-surface of these finsis increased by forming its outer end into a thin solid rib 55 56. Toavoid confusion in reading the drawings, these fins formed on the ribs40 and 41 are omitted in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The cross-arms 51 of the ribs 38 39 of the sections 30 and 31 are of thefull thickness throughout their entire length of the section and formthe floor of the forward part of the central and side flues. The outerportions of the upper arms of the ribs 40 41 of the sections 28 and 27,respectively, are of corresponding width, as shown at 57 58, forming acontinuation of the floor of side flues; but the inner portions of thesearms are not widened, as shown at 59 60, thereby providing a passageleading from the fire-box to the central flue.

The upper cross-arm of the rib 42 of the section 29' is of equalthickness at its outer end with the section, thereby forming acontinuation of the floor of the side flues, as shown at 61, and isprolonged laterally at its inner end, as shown at 62, to the plane ofthe rearward side of the section, meeting a similar arm 63 projectingforwardly from the front face of the rearward section 24, continu ingthe floor of the side 'flues back of the hollow wall 64, forming therear end of the central flue. The heating-surfaces of the uppercross-arms 51 of all of the sections are increased by giving theirmargins and ends the form of solid ribs, as shown at 65 66, Figs. 9 and10, similar to the ribs 55 and 56.

The sections 27, 28, 30, and 31 are each provided with the innerwater-legs 47, already referred to as forming the partition separatingthe central flue from the return-fines, these water-legs rising from thecross-arms 51 of the ribs to the crown or arch 68 of the section. Thehollow partition 64 is provided at its ends with forwardlyprojectingextensions 69, abutting against the legs 67 of the section 27 therebycompleting the partition between the flues. The sections 27, 28, 30, and31 are also provided with a second set of water legs 70, located nearerthe median line of the boiler and connecting the cross-arm 51 with thearch 68. These water-legs are of less width than the sections, and henceare spaced apart from each other, permitting the circulation of thegases around and between them.

The Water-legs 67 and 70 are inclined outwardly at their upper ends,thus directing the rising currents of water toward the sides of theboiler. By this arrangement the vio lent ebullition of the water iscarried outside of the zone from which the steam-pipes 71 72 are fed,and hence the steam passes out of the boiler much drier than wouldotherwise be the case.

The described arrangement of flues and water-passages concentrates theheat at the center of the boiler and so directs the watercurrents as topromote rapid circulation through this more highly heated portion of theboiler. The return-pipes leading the water of condensation back from theboiler to the heating system enter the boiler at the bottom of itswater-legs, as at the points 7 3 7 4. Here it is brought under thedirect influence of the burning fuel, and the ribs 38 provide for it adirect path upwardly and inwardly to the center of the boiler, where itmerges into the currents leading inwardly from the outer water-legs ofthe boiler-sections, through which the water has descended from the domeof the boiler. There are therefore two cycles of circulation, the onewithin the boiler itself upwardly through the inner water-legs 67 and 70and downwardly through the outer Water-legs of the sections and thencethrough the cross-arms 50 and 51, the other through the steam-pipes 7172 to the heating system and back through the return-pipes 73 74 andthence upwardly through the ribs 38 and the water-legs 67 and 70. Thesetwo cycles merge together in such manner as to in no wise conflict; but,on the contrary, the rapid circulation through the cycle entirely withinthe boiler promotes circulation through the other cycle, tending to drawup the water through the ribs 38, and thereby accelerate the draining ofthe heating system of the water of condensation.

The form of the sections and the arrangement of the hollow ribs andtheir hollow fins and of the inner water-legs is such that a very largeamount of so-called radiant heatingsurface is secured. The ribs beingapertured and the fins being in alternation, it will be seen that theheat may radiate in straight lines from a bed of fuel within thefire-box to substantially all parts of the surface of the ribs, thefins, and the under faces of the crossarms 51.

The solid ribs formed at the end of the hollow fins still furtherincrease the area of direct heating-surface, and the solid ribs 65 and66, forming the meeting-points of certain parts of the sections, permitof the spacing of the hollow portions of the sections, thereby stillfurther increasing the area of direct heating-surface not only upon thewalls of the hollow portions, but also to the eXtent of these ribs, thelength of which is so restricted that the heat absorbed by them israpidly conducted to and carried away by the water.

The flue arrangement brings the gases resulting from combustion when attheir maximum temperature into cooperation with the hottest water in theboiler and the gases when at their lowest temperature into cooperationwith the coolest water in the boiler, thereby securing the highestaverage of difference in temperature between the gases and the water.Furthermore, this flue arrangement accelerates the circulation of thewater by the application of the greatest heat to those portions of theWater-passages through which the cur rents are ascending. The value ofradiant heating-surface is enormously in excess of the value ofheating-surface acted upon by convection, and the form and arrangementof the sections of the heater are such that the water-currents actedupon by radiant heat are all ascending and do not conflict with thedescending currents.

I claim as my invention 1. In a sectional boiler, in combination, aplurality of sections in horizontal alinement and being substantiallyU-shaped and having instanding hollow cross-arms and waterlegs leadingupwardly therefrom, arranged to form a fire-boX, a central flue leadingup wardly from the end of the fire-box and to the farther end of theboiler, and return-flues at the same level with the central flue.

2. In a boiler, in combination, a plurality of substantially U-shapedhollow sections in horizontal alinement; the several sections havinghollow ribs springing from the lower ends of their legs adjacent thebottom of the fire-box and arching substantially to the center of theboiler, water-legs leading upwardly from the inner ends of the ribs, andhollow cross-arms uniting the last-named legs with the outer legs of thesections.

3. In a boiler, in combination, a plurality of substantially U-shapedhollow sections in horizontal alinement; the several sections havinghollow ribs springin from the lower ends of their legs adjacent thebottom of the fire-box and arching substantially to the cen ter of theboiler, water-legs leading upwardly from the inner ends of the ribs andinclining outwardly at their upper ends, and hollow cross-arms unitingthe last-named legs with the outer legs of the sections.

4. In a boiler, in combination, a plurality of substantially U-shapedhollow sections in horizontal alinement, each section being formed oftwo parts united at their upper ends; the several sections having hollowribs springing from the lower ends of their legs adjacent the bottom ofthe fire-box and arching substantially to the center of the boiler,water-legs leading upwardly from the inner ends of the ribs andinclining outwardly at their upper ends, and hollow cross-arms unitingthe last-named legs with the outer legs of the sections.

5. A substantially U-shaped boiler-section, its side membersconstituting waterlegs extending downwardly at the side of the fire-boxof the boiler; such section having i11- standing hollow cross-armsleading from such water-legs, their width being the same as thethickness of the section; hollow ribs of less width springing from thelower ends of the water-legs and arching inwardly to the median line ofthe boiler and joining the crossarms, such ribs being transverselyapertured and hollow fins projecting laterally from the ribs.

6. A substantially U-shaped boiler-section, its side membersconstituting waterlegs extending downwardly at the side of the fire-boxof the boiler; such section having instanding hollow cross-arms leadingfrom such water-legs, their width being the same as the thickness of thesection; hollow ribs of less width springing from the lower ends of thewater-legs and arching inwardly to the median line of the boiler andjoining the crossarms, such ribs being transversely apertured; andhollow fins projecting laterally from the opposite sides of the ribs andbeing out of horizontal alinement.

7. A substantially U-shaped boiler-section, its side membersconstituting waterlegs extending downwardly at the side of the fire-boxof the boiler; such section having instanding hollow cross-arms leadingfrom such water-legs, their width being the same as the thickness of thesection; hollow ribs of less width springing from the lower ends of thewater-legs and arching inwardly to the median line of the boiler andjoining the crossarms, such ribs being transversely apertured and hollowfins projecting laterally from the ribs and having solid ribs at theirouter ends.

FRANK B. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

J. W. CHATHAM, D. H. RILEY.

